April 3, 2022 Howey Politics Indiana sponsored by Wine + Spirits Distributors of Indiana

SUPREME COURT TO HEAR POWER CLASH BETWEEN GOV, LEGISLATURE: The Indiana Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Thursday in an unprecedented lawsuit pitting Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb against the Republican-controlled General Assembly (Carden, NWI Times). At stake is nothing less than the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches of state government, the meanings of key sections of the Indiana Constitution and the role the Legislature might play in any future statewide emergency. The case stems from House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1123 enacted by the General Assembly — over Holcomb’s veto — on April 15, 2021. It permits Indiana House and Senate leaders, organized as the Legislative Council, to call the General Assembly into “emergency session” for up to 40 days when top lawmakers decide legislative action is needed to respond to a state of emergency declared by the governor, or to undo his emergency orders. In written arguments to the state’s high court, Holcomb claims the statute is unconstitutional because Indiana’s governing charter only permits the governor to call a special legislative session once the House and Senate have adjourned for the year, typically in April during odd-numbered years and in March during even-numbered years. He said a law allowing the Legislature to convene itself improperly usurps a power delegated to the governor by the Constitution and fundamentally alters the delicate separation-of-powers balance established by the Constitution.

ELTON JOHN CREDITS RYAN WHITE FOR SAVING HIS LIFE: Elton John credits teenage AIDS victim Ryan White and his family with saving his life (AP). The singer told the crowd at his concert at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Friday that spending time around White’s family caused him to make changes in his life. White was from Indiana. “I knew that my lifestyle was crazy and out of order. And six months later, I got sober and clean and have been ever since,” John said. He said White’s family was the catalyst for him to change. “I cannot thank them enough, because without them, I’d probably be dead,” the singer said, WTHR-TV reported. White died in Indianapolis at age 18 on April 8, 1990. He had contracted HIV years earlier through a tainted blood transfusion. His mother, Jeanne White-Ginder continues to share a close relationship with John, who acknowledged her presence at the concert. “I love you so much,” John said. “Thank you for all you’ve done for me. This song is for you.” He then began playing “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me.”

PENCE POSITIONING AS TRUMP ALTERNATIVE: Former Vice President Mike Pence may be positioning himself as an acceptable alternative to former President Donald Trump, but he will have to strike a delicate balance between showing respect for Trump and distancing himself from the former president (Newsweek). Pence’s advocacy organization, Advancing American Freedom, unveiled a 28-page “Freedom Agenda” on Thursday that emphasizes many conservative policy priorities in a move that some observers will see as part of a potential 2024 White House bid. The Freedom Agenda strikes many familiar Republican notes on issues including abortion, perceived censorship of conservatives on social media, taxation, and religious liberty. It also calls for the completion of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border that was a centerpiece of Trump’s 2016 campaign. The document touts Pence’s time as Trump’s vice president, referring to some “Trump-Pence” policies, but it also puts distance between Pence and his former boss on certain issues, according to political experts who spoke to Newsweek about the agenda. For example, the agenda takes aim at Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying that he “undermines freedom and democracy at home and abroad, while jeopardizing stability by threatening the sovereignty of Russia’s neighbors.”

U.S. ADDED 431K JOBS IN MARCH: America’s employers extended a streak of robust hiring in March, adding 431,000 jobs in a sign of the economy’s resilience in the face of a still-destructive pandemic, Russia’s war against Ukraine and the highest inflation in 40 years (AP). The government’s report Friday showed that last month’s job growth helped shrink the unemployment rate to 3.6%. That’s the lowest rate since the pandemic erupted two years ago and just above the half-century low of 3.5% that was reached two years ago. Despite the inflation surge, persistent supply bottlenecks, damage from COVID-19 and now a war in Europe, employers have added at least 400,000 jobs for 11 straight months. In its report, the government also sharply revised up its estimate of hiring in January and February by a combined 95,000 jobs. The job growth in March, though solid, was the lowest since September and slightly below what economists had expected. Still, Vincent Reinhart, chief economist at Dreyfus and Mellon, said the numbers show that “the U.S. economy continues to have underlying momentum and that firms are taking workers when they can.″ The March report sketched a bright picture of the job market, with steady hiring and rising wages. Average hourly pay has risen a strong 5.6% over the past 12 months, welcome news for employees across the economy. For leisure and hospitality workers, including people who work in hotels, restaurants and bars, average pay has jumped 11.8% from a year earlier — “a clear sign that employers are desperate for staff,” said Saru Jayaraman, president of One Fair Wage, which advocates for better pay and conditions for service employees.

FALLEN MARINE RETURNS TO FORT WAYNE: A fallen Fort Wayne Marine came home Saturday, and the public showed support by lining up roadside along Saturday’s procession route (WANE-TV). The body of 27-year-old Capt. Matthew J. Tomkiewicz arrived at the 122nd Fighter Wing in Fort Wayne around 1 p.m. Saturday’s procession traveled from the 122nd Fighter Wing to Bluffton Road to Broadway to Main Street to the D.O. McComb & Sons Tribute Center at 2307 W. Main St. People were asked to start lining the road at Bluffton and Ferguson Roads.

RUSSIAN PULLOUT FOLLOWED BY SCORES OF ATROCITIES: Nearly 300 civilians have been buried in mass graves by local authorities in this small suburb of Kyiv after Russian troops withdrew last week, one of several regions where Ukrainian officials and independent rights watchdogs say they are uncovering evidence of war crimes perpetrated by occupation forces (Wall Street Journal). Footage taken by the Ukrainian military shortly after Russian forces abandoned Bucha showed streets littered with bodies of civilians, some of them with their hands tied. Human Rights Watch on Sunday released a report documenting cases of rape and summary executions in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine, including Bucha, as well as other crimes. “Kyiv region. 21st century hell. Bodies of men and women, who were killed with their hands tied,” Ukraine’s presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote in a Sunday social-media post with images of shallow graves and executed civilians in Bucha and nearby towns. Bucha’s municipality Saturday put the number of bodies it buried in the mass graves at 280, with more being found amid the wreckage.

RUSS APPEARS TO BE SHIFTING UKRAINE GOALS: Five weeks after Russian troops hurtled into the country in the hope of swiftly seizing the capital, installing a friendly government and subjugating Ukraine, the Russian military appears to be shrinking its goals to prioritize the east, redeploying forces that had been destined for the Kyiv region and attempting to organize reinforcements to compensate for the thousands of troops that have been killed (Washington Post). The move represents a new and substantially different phase of the war as Russia withdraws its troops from battered northern and western areas to focus eastward, where it has already wreaked massive destruction and deprivation, most notably in the city of Mariupol, where as many as 100,000 people remained trapped in grim conditions. The shift reflects a recognition in Moscow that Russia can no longer accomplish its original goals, analysts say. After making initial gains, its forces have stalled on most of the fronts they advanced on, and they have meanwhile suffered huge losses in terms of equipment and soldiers.

HOUSE PASSES LEGALIZED MARIJUANA BILL: The House passed legislation on Friday to legalize marijuana nationwide and eliminate the longstanding criminal penalties for anyone who distributes or possesses it. Lawmakers passed the bill largely along party lines, 220-204, with three Republicans joining all but two Democrats in support (The Hill). The three Republicans who voted for the bill were Reps. Matt Gaetz (Fla.), Brian Mast (Fla.) and Tom McClintock (Calif.), while Democratic Reps. Henry Cuellar (Texas) and Chris Pappas (N.H.) voted against it. The measure now goes to the Senate, where Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is working with fellow Democrats to introduce a marijuana legalization bill as soon as this spring. But it’s not clear a bill to broadly legalize marijuana could clear the necessary 60 votes to advance in the Senate. 

ANNE COULTER LEAVES IU LECTURE MID-QUESTION: Conservative commentator Ann Coulter walked off stage mid-question after a talk Friday at the Whittenberger Auditorium at the Indiana Memorial Union. The talk–billed as a lecture about liberalism on college campuses but which touched on a number of topics–was hosted by IU’s chapters of the ISI Buckley Society and Turning Point USA, two conservative groups (Lichter, Indiana Public Media).  About halfway through the line of questioners, IU senior Tara Layous tried to ask Coulter about her religious beliefs. Tayous said she noticed Coulter was wearing a cross necklace, and as a religious person herself, was curious. “I just wanted to know how her religion guides her values,” Layous said later. “And specifically how her religion guides her political opinions.” But Coulter cut Layous off before she could finish her question. “You think I’m mean,” said Coulter. After Layous stated that was not what her question was about, Coulter said that she needed to leave soon and the event was already running over. “Every question from now on will be one sentence with a question mark because otherwise, I have to go, we have to go,” Coulter said. After an audience member asked her where she needed to go, Coulter said she had a flight to catch.

HPI DAILY ANALYSIS: We may be watching the Kremlin reprioritizing its Ukraine fiasco, pulling its forces out of the Kyiv area and leaving in its wake bloody atrocities. This is war is likely to continue, but it’s becoming apparent this is entering a new phase. – Brian A. Howey

Campaigns

HOUCHIN WINS STRAW POLL:  Erin Houchin was the winner of a straw poll conducted this evening at the conclusion of a 9th District candidate forum hosted by the Monroe County GOP and the 9th District Young Republicans (Howey Politics Indiana). “Thanks to the Monroe County GOP and Young Republicans for organizing an excellent candidate forum this evening,” Houchin said. “Thank you to all who attended and for the support of our campaign. We look forward to carrying this momentum through to Election Day.” Houchin is the only candidate in the race to receive the highest possible rating, an A+, from the National Rifle Association, and is the only candidate to be endorsed by both pro-life groups Indiana Right to Life and The Susan B. Anthony List.

SCHMUHL PREDICTED YOUNG WOULD OPPOSE JACKSON: As a reminder, below is what Indiana Democratic Chairman Mike Schmuhl said on the day Ms. Jackson was nominated to serve on the nation’s highest court (Howey Politics Indiana): “Here’s the unfortunate reality: President Biden could nominate the most qualified candidate to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, and Indiana’s U.S. Senators would likely still say ‘NO’. Just like his flip-flop on The Jobs Act, Todd Young will put his Party’s culture wars ahead of breaking a crucial barrier for Black women. Mike Braun will just oppose Judge Jackson out of spite toward the President. This upcoming Supreme Court vote will be another demonstration of Indiana Republicans being a performative political party with a narrowing vision for Indiana, Hoosier families, and the United States.”

INDEMS LAUD MARIJUANA BILL PASSAGE: The Indiana Democratic Party issued the following statement by Chairman Mike Schmuhl after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, legislation that would legalize cannabis nationwide (Howey Politics Indiana). According to a 2018 survey, about 80-percent of Hoosiers favor marijuana legalization in some form. Today’s vote follows the Indiana Democratic Party’s call for the state to legalize recreational cannabis across the Hoosier State: “We have seen the impact that recreational and medicinal cannabis use has made on the states around us, and not only are Hoosiers contributing to neighboring states’ economies, Indiana is now on the verge of losing out altogether. Action must be taken, and it’s encouraging to see the U.S. House of Representatives pass the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, because it would be an overall winner for the Hoosier State,” said Mike Schmuhl, Chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party. “It’s unfortunate to see Indiana Republicans’ partisanship oppose this common sense policy, but Democrats have taken the lead on this effort because it’s a win-win for the state’s economy and for Hoosiers altogether. Legalizing cannabis will also fulfill Democrats’ consistent promise of creating a better future for our families. It’s now on U.S. Senators Todd Young and Mike Braun to support recreational cannabis and make this opportunity a bipartisan win for the nation.”

PENCE SAYS BIDEN HAS ‘DONE MORE DAMAGE’: Former Vice President Mike Pence said President Biden “has done more damage to America than any president in modern history” Saturday on “One Nation” (Fox News). “I think President Biden has done more damage to America than any president in modern history,” he told host Brian Kilmeade. “In 14 short months, inflation’s at a 40-year-high. We have the worst crisis on our border in American history. Gasoline prices are up 70%. The disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, the mishandling of the COVID pandemic and the list goes on.” Pence is “very proud of the way that Republicans have been the loyal opposition,” saying they have “called out [the Biden administration’s] failings consistently.” The right-wing movement “has always been a movement driven by ‘we the people,'” he continued.

PENCE HEADED TO IOWA: Former Vice President Mike Pence will travel to Iowa later this month, another key indicator he’s pursuing a 2024 presidential bid (Daily Mail). Historically, the Hawkeye State has held the first-in-the-nation presidential contest, the Iowa caucuses, which have launched and killed many a presidential campaign. Pence will headline the annual Story County Lincoln Highway Dinner in Ames on April 23 and pay a visit to the state’s ultra-conservative 4th Congressional District earlier in the day, according to The Washington Examiner. This week Pence also launched a policy platform – the ‘Freedom Agenda’ – that he argued conservatives can use as a template to win future elections. He told Fox News Digital on Thursday it was important for America’s right-leaning party to ‘rally around a bold, optimistic agenda’ to ‘stop the radical left.’

TRUMP STUMPS IN MICHIGAN’S MACOMB COUNTY:  Former President Donald Trump tried to boost select Michigan candidates running for secretary of state, attorney general and the Legislature in a nearly two-hour Saturday address that aimed to cement his influence in the Michigan GOP (Detroit News). Three weeks ahead of the Michigan Republican nominating convention, Trump criticized Michigan’s 2020 election as “rigged” and encouraged supporters to ask each state candidate at the April 23 nominating convention “if they will support the Trump ticket.” “If they won’t give you that assurance, don’t give them your vote,” he said to a crowd of more than 5,000 people at the Michigan Stars Sport Center in Washington Township. Thousands of other attendees stood outside of the at-capacity sports complex, mirroring the crowds Trump attracted at that location while president in 2018 and 2020.

TRUMP SOCIAL MEDIA SITE FILLED WITH BOGUS ACCOUNTS: Former President Donald Trump’s troubled social media platform can add one more problem to its list of woes: Fake government accounts. Impersonators on Truth Social grabbed handles used by law enforcement agencies, branches of the military, and federal officials. The Daily Dot found more than a dozen accounts on Truth Social whose handles match those government entities and representatives use on their verified Twitter accounts. These include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Justice Department, United States Navy, United States Army, New York City Police Department (NYPD), the White House, the President of the United States, the White House Press Secretary, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Treasury Department, the Department of Homeland Security, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the State Department. In Truth Social’s defense, none of these accounts are verified.

PALIN TO SEEK ALASKA CD SEAT: Sarah Palin, the former governor of Alaska and vice presidential candidate under Senator John McCain, is running for Congress, shaking up an already unpredictable race for Alaska’s lone U.S. House seat (CBS News). Palin, who shared the news on her Twitter account Friday, now joins a field of at least 40 candidates seeking to fill the seat that had been held for 49 years by the late-U.S. Rep. Don Young. “Public service is a calling, and I would be honored to represent the men and women of Alaska in Congress, just as Rep. Young did for 49 years,” she wrote in a statement announcing her candidacy. “I realize that i have very big shoes to fill, and I plan to honor Rep. Young’s legacy by offering myself up in the name of service to the state he loved and fought for, because I share that passion for Alaska and the United States of America.”

State

GOVERNOR: HOLCOMB IN ISRAEL –  The Indiana Economic Development Authority tweeted on Friday:” Today, the delegation toured the ancient City of David, where they enjoyed a historical tour of the 3,000-year-old site and shared a spiritual experience with hundreds at the Western Wall.”

ISP: WEBSITE HACKED – The main Twitter account of the Indiana State Police was briefly taken over Saturday afternoon in an apparent hack of the state law enforcement agency (Carden, NWI Times). At 1:46 p.m. the verified @IndStatePolice Twitter account retweeted a March 27 Wall Street Journal article about actor Sean Penn vowing to melt his Academy Awards if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wasn’t invited to speak at the annual Oscars ceremony. The retweet came with the following message that appeared to be sent by state police: “I don’t like that that was poo poo head I don’t like that.” The police agency seemingly regained control of its account shortly afterward and issued the following statement: “It appears our Twitter account was recently hacked. The previous tweet sent 15 minutes ago was not sent by ISP personnel. Please notify us if you see any suspicious activity from our account.”

STATE: SULLIVAN ANNOUNCES POST-ELECTION AUDITS – Indiana Secretary of State Holli Sullivan Friday announced the state will double its number of post-election audits following each general election (Howey Politics Indiana). “As the state’s chief elections officer, one of the most important responsibilities I have is to verify that all Hoosier votes are accurately counted and that proper election procedures are followed,” Secretary Sullivan said. “Doubling the number of audits the state conducts is another vital step to providing transparency to voters and increasing confidence in our state’s electoral process.” Secretary Sullivan made the announcement during a new facility ribbon cutting for the Voting System Technical Oversight Program (VSTOP) at Ball State University in Muncie. The Secretary of State’s office conducts audits in partnership with VSTOP. Following the 2020 general election, Indiana conducted five post-election audits in counties throughout the state (Cass, LaPorte, Madison, Marion and Vigo counties). At the conclusion of the 2022 General Election, Indiana will perform audits in 10 still-to-be-determined counties. The Secretary of State and VSTOP will also conduct four post-election audits after each primary election. “At Ball State University, we’re about more than educating students—we’re about serving our neighbors, our communities, and our state,” Ball State University President Geoffrey S. Mearns said. “I am proud of our University’s involvement in Indiana’s state elections through VSTOP. This project is a national model for how state universities can be an instrumental part of securing our right to vote.”

COURTS: IU, PURDUE STUDENTS LAWSUIT CAN PROCEED – Lawsuits that students at Indiana University and Purdue University filed seeking tuition and fee refunds after both schools switched to online classes early in the COVID-19 pandemic can proceed to trial, the state appeals court ruled (Kokomo Tribune). A three-judge panel of the appellate court ruled unanimously Thursday there’s a sufficient basis for the plaintiffs to pursue their claims that the schools failed to deliver on their contracted promises to provide an in-person learning experience, The (Northwest Indiana) Times reported. Both IU and Purdue stopped in-person instruction and moved to online learning in March 2020, with two months left in the spring semester, after Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb declared COVID-19 a statewide public health emergency.

BIG EAST: JORDAN SAYS GOODBYE TO BUTLER –  In his first public comments since he was fired as Butler basketball coach, LaVall Jordan thanked his coaches and their families, players and their parents, and listed achievements in a Twitter post (Woods, IndyStar). Missing was any reference to athletic director Barry Collier, who recruited Jordan as a player, coached him, hired him and fired him. In an open letter Saturday signed “Coach Val,” Jordan posted: “I am proud that during our tenure we were able to: advance in the NCAA tournament; advance in the Big East tournament three out of four years; help players go on to play professionally, with two of them achieving their NBA dream; and most importantly help student-athletes earn college degrees, both undergraduate and graduate.”

Congress

WALORSKI INTRODUCES SNACK ACT: U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.), co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus, today introduced the Securing Nutrition for American Communities and Kids (SNACK) Act to offer flexibility for school nutrition programs and make it easier for them to overcome persistent food supply chain disruptions and other current challenges (Howey Politics Indiana). “Throughout the pandemic, our local schools overcame extraordinary obstacles to ensure eligible Hoosier kids maintained access to safe and healthy meals. Now, persistent supply chain bottlenecks and food shortages continue to plague school nutrition programs in Indiana and across the country – with no end in sight,” said Walorski. “In this uncertain environment, schools are struggling to facilitate meal programs and plan for future disruptions. The SNACK Act provides relief by offering flexibility to help school nutrition programs overcome supply chain challenges and restore focus to their true mission – feeding kids and equipping them to thrive.”

Nation

WHITE HOUSE: BIDEN CLIMATE AGENDA STALLS – A year after he entered the White House with a vow that fighting global warming would be a driving priority for his administration, President Biden finds his climate agenda is mired in delay and faces legal, legislative and political headwinds that could diminish or dismantle it entirely (New York Times). His two main avenues for significant climate action are legislation and regulation. But even Mr. Biden’s top aides and closest allies now concede that the legislative centerpiece of his climate plan is unlikely to become law in the face of steadfast Republican opposition. And regulations that are now under development — strict limits on the pollution from cars and power plants that is dangerously heating the planet — could be curtailed or blocked by the conservative majority on the Supreme Court.

CALIFORNIA: MINISCULE SNOWPACK IN SIERRAS – California is going into spring with minuscule snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, leaving the state in a third year of extreme drought and with depleted reservoirs to draw on during what’s likely to be another hot, parched summer (Los Angeles Times). The mountain snowpack, as measured by snow sensors across the Sierras, now stands at just 38% of the long-term average. State officials stood on bare ground at a snow survey site in the mountains on Friday, saying the paltry snowpack reflects the state’s accelerating water challenges with climate change. They appealed for Californians to step up efforts to save water. “We are calling on all Californians to use water wisely, to conserve as much as you can,” said Karla Nemeth, director of the state Department of Water Resources.

CALIFORNIA: 6 KILLED, 9 WOUNDED IN SACRAMENTO MASSACRE – A shooting in downtown Sacramento early on Sunday has left at least six people dead and nine people wounded, the police said (New York Times). Details about the shooting were unclear, but the police had initially told members of the public to avoid several blocks near the city’s Capitol Park area because they were investigating a shooting with “multiple victims.” On Sunday morning, the authorities confirmed that the police had located 15 victims, including six dead, but they did not provide further details.

NCAAM: COACH K’S CAREER COMES TO AN END WITH LOSS – Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s remarkable career came to thrilling and sudden close Saturday night after Caleb Love made a key 3-pointer and three late free throws to lift archrival North Carolina to a thrill-a-minute 81-77 victory over the Blue Devils (ABC News). This was the 258th, most consequential and maybe, just maybe, the very best meeting between these teams, whose arenas are separated by a scant 11 miles down in Tobacco Road. The eighth-seeded Tar Heels (29-9), of all teams, pinned the 368th and final loss on the 75-year-old Coach K, exactly four weeks after they ruined the going-away party in his final home game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. That loss hurt. This one stopped the coach’s last-gasp, storybook run one win away from a title game and a chance at his sixth championship.

Sunday Talk

BLINKEN SAYS RUSS SUFFERED STRATEGIC DEFEAT: Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday said Russia has already experienced a “strategic defeat” in its invasion of Ukraine. “If you step back and look at this, this has already been a dramatic strategic setback for Russia, and I would say a strategic defeat,” Blinken told co-anchor Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the Union” when asked about additional sanctions the U.S. may impose on Russia. Blinken said Russia has already failed in the three main goals it had at the start of its invasion of Ukraine. “They had three aims going into this. One was to subjugate Ukraine to Russia’s will, to take away its sovereignty and independence. The second was to assert Russian power. The third was to divide the west and NATO. On all three fronts, its already lost,” Blinken said.

NATO’S STOLTENBERG CITES ‘HORRIFIC’ ATROCITIES: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Sunday said reports of civilians being executed and buried in mass graves in the Ukrainian city of Bucha are “horrific” and “absolutely unacceptable.” Ukrainian officials have shared photos on social media showing several bodies lying in the streets of Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv, with their hands tied behind their backs. Some officials have said the individuals were shot dead by Russian troops, while Bucha Mayor Anatoly Fedorur said 280 people had been buried in mass graves. Asked by co-anchor Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the Union” if the reports constitute a genocide, Stoltenberg said the incidents represent “a brutality against civilians we haven’t seen in Europe for decades.” “And it’s horrific, and it’s absolutely unacceptable that civilians are targeted and killed, and it just underlines the importance of, that this war must end. And that is President Putin’s responsibility, to stop the war,” Stoltenberg added.

BLUNT WON’T VOTE TO CONFIRM JACKSON: Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) on Sunday became the latest Republican senator to indicate that he would vote against confirming Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson but said he would be “joining others in understanding the importance of this moment.” “My sense is that the president certainly had every good intention and every, every right in the campaign to talk about putting the first Black woman on the court. I think it’s time for that to happen,” Blunt said while appearing on ABC’s “This Week.”

Local

INDIANAPOLIS: NEW COUNCIL MAPS UNVEILED – The Indianapolis City-County Council on Friday released its long-awaited map and redistricting ordinance proposal (Muniz, IBJ). Proposal 157 and the accompanying map come after a two-month, 10-part public forum series and a summary report published earlier this month. The sessions were lightly attended, but generated resident feedback emphasizing community and neighborhood unity. “For the first time in our city’s history, this Council positioned the voices of Indianapolis residents as the first and most critical step in the redistricting process,” said President Vop Osili, Vice President Zach Adamson and Majority Leader Maggie Lewis in a joint statement Friday. “Proposal 157 reflects what we heard from constituents during the “Your Voice 2022” public forums and our commitment to a process that was transparent, public-focused, and open to all,” the trio continued, thanking residents who participated. The proposal map and text, released Friday as part of the council’s agenda, will be formally introduced at the legislative body’s monthly meeting on Monday evening. It is scheduled to be heard at the Rules and Public Policy Committee meeting on April 12, which will be open to public comment. Councilors could vote on the proposal as soon as the May 2 full council meeting.

INDIANAPOLIS: COUNCILOR QUITS DEM PARTY – The Indianapolis City-County Council will face some new political tension when it meets Monday (Muniz, IBJ). Earlier this week, Councilor Ethan Evans announced that he was leaving the Democratic Party to become an independent and wouldn’t seek reelection in 2023. In a statement, Evans described a growing frustration, writing that he’d felt “shut out” in trying to “come up with solutions from inside the party.” At least one Democratic leader on the council is pushing back on that characterization, suggesting that the freshman councilor simply wasn’t able to effectively build coalitions of support around his ideas. “You have to temper your priorities, how you’re going to package these objectives for people … because we all have constituents that we answer to,” said Vice President Zach Adamson.

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY: NEW VOTING MACHINES TESTED –  Next Monday marks the last day to register to vote in Indiana’s 2022 Primary Election. Tuesday marks the first chance to cast an in-person absentee ballot. On Friday, St. Joseph County’s voting machines were put to the test (Peterson, WNDU-TV). They do something that will eventually be required of every voting machine in the state. “A number of counties have machines that do not have any type of paper trail,” said Indiana Rep. Tim Wesco (R) Osceola. “St. Joseph County always has.” Rep. Wesco says Elkhart County machines had no paper audit trail when vote centers were introduced there. Elkhart County has since updated its equipment to become paper trail compliant. Wesco is the author of a bill that moved up the effective date of Indiana’s paper trail mandate from Dec. of 2029 to July of 2024. That bill was recently signed into law by the governor. “So that, if there is any question about the outcome from an electronic standpoint, we have paper ballots that the voters themselves actually verify. We can go back and we can do a recount to validate whatever the electronic tallies were,” Rep. Wesco explained.